Caitlin Comeskey is a player and content creator who joined PokerStars as an ambassador last year. Follow her on X.
Are women’s events more toxic than open events? I have to answer this one with a resounding 'No!'
All due respect to Christina Gollins, a friend & colleague who posed the original thesis. I have great respect and admiration for her talent and accomplishments. Furthermore, she’s certainly not the only female poker player in my life who’s been candid about not enjoying the experience of playing women-only events. I validate these sentiments and acknowledge that, depending on personal life experience, conflicts with women can be more hurtful than those with men. With that being said, let’s dive into the counterpoints!
The 'soft start'
The main argument for women’s-only events centers around the idea that it creates a 'soft start' for intimidated beginners. Women in open events will more often than not be the only female at their table, as women make up less than 10% of the player pool.
I confess the first time I traveled to play a poker tournament or invest in a $1K buy-in myself was for the 2021 WSOP Ladies Event. At the time, I had only played cash to some limited success, but having fallen in love with the game during the ESPN coverage heyday, I dreamed of tournament glory.
This event was the first time I played with someone I watched on TV (legends JJ Liu & Maria Ho). JJ was tough and quiet at the table, but I learned so much just watching her fearlessly apply consistent aggression. Maria was uncommonly gracious and personable, answering any questions, patiently explaining floor rulings and taking selfies.
I was starstruck and terrified, and I gleefully posted to social media when I bagged up 10 big blinds at the end of the day, advancing to Day 2. I did not cash, but that day was my first exposure to the tournament world and sitting across from high-profile players.
More laughter, more fun
Since 2021, I have converted my primary volume to live tournaments, and I play women’s events every chance I get. The two first-place finishes on my HendonMob are both in closed women’s events (RunGood Tunica 2024, WPT Voyage 2024), and I look forward to any opportunity I get to play with women.
Partly because these events exist to foster beginners, they’re admittedly softer (and I like making money). Christina Gollins, a professional player who publicly denounced such functions, attended almost every event during women’s week this summer, likely for this same reason.
But for me, women’s events are also a joy! As a female poker player, you spend so much time being othered, both subconsciously and directly by your male opponents. Sometimes it’s just nice to have a few beverages and gossip with the gals.
Most of us get our first exposure to poker in basements or around kitchen tables, playing with families or school friends in childhood or early adulthood. Women’s tournaments are much closer to that memory than an open event where participants encounter more headphones, more sunglasses, more intensity. At a women’s event, there’s more chattiness, more laughter, more beverages, more fun.
The appetite is growing
According to PokerStars, the Women’s Winter Festival in London (Nov 2024) received the most positive feedback of any live event in the company’s history. KJ Craigie, PokerStars Ambassador, Director of Poker at Hippodrome and Women’s Festival creator, noted, “I have never experienced an event like it, as a player or tournament director. The room was alive and full of camaraderie, with everyone celebrating the wins of others. We created something special.”
Women were treated to off-the-felt activities such as a ride on the London Eye, High Tea and a Magic Mike variety show, further reinforcing the gaiety of the program. The series was met with such positive feedback that PokerStars is running it back this August 12-17 for the Women’s Summer Festival.
Players can expect another £100,000 guaranteed Main Event, a £1,100 High Roller, and the much-loved 50/50 event. Off the felt, there’s a cocktail class on the Hippodrome Terrace and a comedy night featuring yours truly, with Joe 'Stapes' Stapleton on hosting duties and a closing party to wrap up what’s expected to be another great event.
The women’s events hosted by PokerStars have all seen an increase from 2023 with, incredibly, the NAPT increasing by 94% last year and Monte Carlo numbers doubling this year. On average, all women’s events last year increased by 49%, whereas the number of women playing in mixed Main Events only increased by just over an average of 2%, so it’s clear there’s an appetite for these women-only events across the board.
A social mindsport, open to all
Another advantage to new players prioritizing these events is networking. Male player counterparts can often have a leg up with finding like-minded colleagues to split traveling costs and to study the game. The Women’s Festival not only allows the chance for a novice female player to have a positive first experience at a live event but also access to a professional network should she wish to pursue a full-time career or long-term recreational hobby.
Are there bad apples that consistently alienate other players? Absolutely, but I would theorize not at a rate any higher than you would encounter in an open event. Are women’s events tea parties 100% of the time? Absolutely not! We’re competing for real money and at certain stages of the tournament, you may find more ferocity than others. But I hope the woman-on-woman competition that intensifies throughout the event will better prepare female players to be the Last Woman Standing one day in a large open event, where they are certain to face male bravado, vehemence and high-pressure decisions under duress.
These uncomfortable situations are what make poker such a therapeutic and worthwhile endeavor for anyone. Risk exposure, interpersonal conflict, social rejection and performance anxiety provide lessons that can be carried over for people in all walks of life.
Poker is a mind sport. Men have no physical advantage to win as they do in athletics. However, it is also a social game and psychological contest, where the sociological implications of gender complicate the gamble. Women’s events, especially the Women’s Festivals in London, curate an environment that increases the likelihood a new player will fall in love with the game.
I pledge to take my role as ambassador with the utmost gravitas and look forward to reinforcing the sentiments laid out in this article – that women’s events play a vital role in growing the game.
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